XOHA is a profound young woman of inner and outer strength, academic excellence, societal awareness, and blood that’s laced with the sweet melodies of rich musicology.
Ever since she was 5, music and performance, as a whole, have been part of her being. Recognizing this, she was able to get a spot at one of the oldest independent schools in Los Angeles, which enabled her to flourish in the arts and academics in balance. Over the years, she was frequently selected to play the lead in musicals, sang at school events, performed at talent shows, and many outside opportunities. This balanced approach to arts and academics as part of her schooling engrained a daily discipline. Aside from having the vocal capabilities and great mentors, from a young age, she learned that the confluence of instruction, research, practice, daily time commitment to her craft, health, diet, etc. would allow her to be the best version of herself as an artist.
Coupled with the pursuit of her musical skills came her development as a martial artist, which she began at the age of 4 and continues today. She believes that it’s necessary for every woman to feel empowered physically for self-defense, especially considering the patriarchal society we live in which can be a challenge for vulnerable young women. An area of interest which has influenced her current thinking and impacted her permanently is the area of social justice. Over the last several years, after studying multiple generations of societal practices and the overall imbalance in society for the marginalized, she has led numerous forums and presentations with the goal of educating others about topics such as institutional racism, the cycle of oppression, intersectionality, the gender pay gap, and much more. Her growing knowledge of these subjects even compelled her to a passion project. She wrote the original song titled “Outsider,” which touches on the sensitive topic of how different the opportunities are in America, in the face of prejudice and discrimination. As a proud feminist, LGBTQ+ ally, social justice and human rights activist, XOHA hopes to utilize her platform as a musician as a catalyst for change. In her core, she believes musicians can be both entertaining and still use their platform to be transformative via their message.
Tell us about your debut single “Outsider.” Does the single have an overarching theme?
“Outsider” is a passion project inspired by unjust events that reignited the social justice movement during the pandemic. Unfortunate circumstances revealed the extensive social, legal, and economic inequalities in our country. Discrepancies in access to healthcare, food, vaccine, and the opportunity to live as a respected human being became a challenge. Factors such as one’s ethnicity, location, and birthplace played a significant role in their societal treatment. “Outsider” endeavors to deliver a message about silenced injustices and the overall societal inequality today and inspire others to drive change.
Do you start off with the music or lyrics first? Why?
For this song, I began by laying down the chords on my piano after lots of experimenting with progressions. A couple of days later, I passed a large protest by my house that sparked a train of thought, and the lyrics simply flowed out of my mind and onto the paper.
Name a perfect song and tell us why you feel that way.
One song I consider to be perfect is “We Are The World” by the U.S.A for Africa. Between the rich lyrics that touch on the idea of harmonious unity despite our differences, to the ethereal vocals weaved into the music, this song is a work of art and a wonderful combined effort by talented artists around the globe.
Summer of 2020 was yet another period of intense racial reckoning in the States, with many promises in the music industry to make things more equitable. Have you seen any changes so far?
Personally, it was difficult to measure important shifts in such a short duration of time, since much of those necessary changes require publicity, grass root movements, and charity concerts to raise capital, all of which were contained due to Covid guidelines. I’d like to be optimistic and believe that those that hold power in the music industry have begun initiatives which will become more pronounced as the world opens up.
What do you want to see from white allies among your classmates, team, and audience?
The most important thing that those with privilege must do, is use their power to uplift minoritized voices. This means employing people of color, and placing them in positions of power in order to create a more equitable society overall.
Is there a professional “bucket list” item you would love to check off?
My goal is to have enough of a fan following to be able to do a world tour…not only to experience the thrill of global performance, but to understand and experience so many different cultures in my lifetime.
XOHA — Instagram